Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland is planning to appear with President Obama next week.

Washington (CNN) – National Republicans are attacking Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland for planning to appear with President Obama at a rally for health care reform in Ohio next Monday.

Strickland, a Democrat, is seeking a second term but faces a challenge from Republican John Kasich.

"Ted Strickland has mishandled the Ohio economy and budget and now he has cast his lot with the misguided and unpopular government takeover of health care," Republican Governors Association spokesman Tim Murtaugh said in a statement Friday. "If he thinks this is good for Ohio – or good politics – then it's a good thing he'll be retiring soon."

The RGA also circulated a February poll from Quinnipiac that suggested a majority of Ohio voters "mostly disapprove" of health care reform plans currently in Congress. That same poll showed Strickland leading Kasich by five points.

Strickland's campaign shot back that Republicans are trying to change the subject on the same day the New York Times published a story outlining how Wall Street giant Lehman Brothers used misleading accounting gimmicks before the bank collapsed in 2008. Kasich is a former managing director of Lehman's investment banking division in Columbus.

A spokeswoman for Strickland's campaign defended the governor's decision to stand with the president, saying Strickland "has been outspoken about the need for comprehensive healthcare throughout his public service career and has refused to accept taxpayer funded healthcare as either Congressman or Governor until all of his constituents have access to quality healthcare."

"In contrast, Congressman John Kasich- from his 18 year career in Congress through his seven years at Lehman Brothers- has put Ohioans on the backburner and instead focused on enriching Wall Street and the big corporations," said the spokeswoman, Lis Smith.

"It's the same report that can be written about the state of Ohio, but the big difference is that in the state's case, Ted Strickland has been the executive who’s accountable for it all," Nichols told CNN.

soundoff(80 Responses)

Wake up people – The current process for obtaining and maintaining health insurance is NOT WORKING.

WE NEED THIS BILL TO PASS.

It's not even socialized medicine! Even if it were – that's still FAR better than what we have no which is NO MEDICINE.

March 12, 2010 03:14 pm at 3:14 pm |

CONNIE

he is just protecting his job he has done such a bad job in ohio what more can he do. It doesn't matter because if the Healthcare bill passing the dems are without a job. I don't like that abortions are part of this healthcare bill. And i ask why did Obama only give his Noble Peace prize money to black people. No white charities was granted any of his money now look who is a racist.

March 12, 2010 03:14 pm at 3:14 pm |

GI Joe

What's new. Not a one of the republicans knows how to do anything positive for this country – they spread hate, fear, lies, and slam and smear and hammer anyon that hasn't been purified in the state of SC by the deviants there.

March 12, 2010 03:31 pm at 3:31 pm |

Greg, San Francisco, CA

Republicans attacking a Democrat? How can that be? (end sarcasm)

March 12, 2010 03:32 pm at 3:32 pm |

dora

Excuse me, Governor Strickland is a Democrat, President Obama is a Democrat...

If you want to have issue with a Democrat who adversely effected Ohio's economy, talk to Clinton. Presidents Clinton and Bush the First gave us NAFTA, and the working class have been taking in up the whosits ever since.

If Obama would steer himself away from those DLC advisors he has and listened to the people, he'd have a heck of a lot less to worry about in 2012.

Corporations are not people.

March 12, 2010 03:42 pm at 3:42 pm |

Melissa

50% of whats in the Health Care bill comes from Republicans. This is NOT a government takeover of health care, or it would be alot less than that.

March 12, 2010 03:48 pm at 3:48 pm |

Pa Santigie

So, you can not even be seen with the President let alone work with him for the good of the country and people, you become atarget.
How base the Republican Party has become.
How do yuo describe this type of behavoir?

March 12, 2010 03:49 pm at 3:49 pm |

lolo

This just goes to show you that the GOP is against anything that our president does. They do not respect him at all because he is a black man. America needs to wake up. The GOP is definitely bad news for our country and its future. Those who are against our president needs to move out of the USA. We have no need for these type of people.

March 12, 2010 03:49 pm at 3:49 pm |

Willy Brown

Strickland is Toast in Ohio.

March 12, 2010 03:50 pm at 3:50 pm |

Chuck Anaheim, Ca

These fools (republicants) just dont have one good thing to say about anything unless it's their way. That in a nutshell is what is wrong with this country. If that is the for of govenment that they want, why are they so afraid of a dictatorship? Thats what they want, their views and their votes only. I think that the president should call them out for what they are, traitors.
By the way republicants, please put down that book that was written in 1925, it didnt work then.

March 12, 2010 03:56 pm at 3:56 pm |

Jack

Let's see. The economy is slowly recovering, TARP monies are being repaid, unemployment is slowing, there will be some kind of health care reform, we are once again engaged in Israeli/Palestinian dialogue, the war in Afghanistna is turning around. All this in only a year. I'd say the Dems are heading this country in the right direction. The only thing the GOP is offering is resistance to any change. The party of NO. They want to stay mired in the quicksand of the past. The Dems are always the once who get stuck having to clean up and fix things after the GOP party.

March 12, 2010 03:57 pm at 3:57 pm |

Jesus(the Zombie version)

@phoenix86

I think you mean to say ALL REPUBLICANS DO NOT WANT HCR.

Or if I'm wrong please name all the Republicans in Congress that pushed HCR when they had the majority for ten years?

TELL ME!?!?

March 12, 2010 03:57 pm at 3:57 pm |

bts

Connie, how many Black charities do YOU donate to? ....I thought so. Giving to a charity is a personal decision not a political one. It's Obama's choice, not White America. And having said that... why do Whites think it's always ALL about them?

March 12, 2010 03:59 pm at 3:59 pm |

T'SAH from Virginia

@CONNIE – abortions are NOT cover under the plan – read before you make statements that are not true – THAT'S the PROBLEM!!!

@DENNIS – we need more conservatives like you... Thanks!!

@MINNIE – I agree – the RepubliCAN'Ts feel it is a TABOO to be with the President of the United States!!!

@SocialismBad – YOUR statement is OLD – why don't YOU come up with something else – VA is a RED STATE and DEEDS ran a lousy campaign – MA is an Independent thing and BROWN is going to SHOCK a lot of YOU far right PEOPLE – and so on!!!

To the HATERS – PALEEEEZZZZEEEE!!!

March 12, 2010 04:01 pm at 4:01 pm |

John D

@T'SAH From Virginia. I guess you never learned how to read. You sure can lie pretty good though. Abortions ARE covered under Obozos plan. You should read before you keep spreading your filthy lies about how great this is having all the wealth distributed so I have to pay for your lazy butt to have health insurance as well as buy my own!

March 12, 2010 04:14 pm at 4:14 pm |

Tam

How pathetic! The thought police. Nazi/Communist era secret police tactics. Hey folks, he's the President. Respect him and work with him. You'll be respecting your country and yourselves.

Oh, I forgot. He's a Democrat and he's almost black. Not "American" at all. Pathetic, sad, and insane.

March 12, 2010 04:18 pm at 4:18 pm |

TCM

"Appearing," with Obama is like appearing in a scene of "24" with Jack Bauer; it's a death sentence!

March 12, 2010 04:26 pm at 4:26 pm |

TCM

Hey, everyone stop picking on T'SAH, I'm sure those extra long curly finger nails she's got, paid for with her welfare "hope and change," card are making it difficult to type....how's the jerry curl, going, girl?

March 12, 2010 04:28 pm at 4:28 pm |

Joe from Ohio

Ted is dead in Ohio It might as well meet with another 1 term loser!

March 12, 2010 04:29 pm at 4:29 pm |

Chris D.

The President of the USA, is welcome in any state in the USA......how dare the GOP.....it's almost laughable, they think just b/c the Presidents' approval rating has dropped, that he's equated to W Bush, or Jimmy Carter.........well he's not!!!!
This President is for all Americans......Rich and poor!! He just wants to implement responsibility, and civilty back into our country.....

March 12, 2010 04:29 pm at 4:29 pm |

TCM

GI Joe- and....The democrats are doing good things? Quadrupling the debt in less than a year? Cowering to our adversaries? Forcing healthcare where 13 million are covered at the expense of 40 million? Having a president and staff that are anti-American through their collective past actions and words? And you call yourself "GI?"
haha...that's a hoot. No, absolutely no self-respecting American whose served in the Armed Forces would approve of Obama's antics....try finding some old history books, back before the liberals starting tainting them...and educate yourself.

March 12, 2010 04:31 pm at 4:31 pm |

rory

To john D. re -read the Obama health care plan.... a hole. It does not cover abortion, it alows for the insurance companies that cover abortion now to continue to cover abortion. spin it idiot spin it.

March 12, 2010 04:34 pm at 4:34 pm |

charlotte, nc

i grew up in Ohio, and i don't hink people understand what former Republican Governor Taft did to ohio – such a corrupt administration for 8 years before Strickland came in. Strickland was given horrible conditions just as Obama was given when he came into office. For you people who do not live in Ohio do not place your judgments on Ohio and what Strickland has been trying to do given what he came in on.

March 12, 2010 04:37 pm at 4:37 pm |

Ken in Pisgah Forest

The question of the year is "Why do Republicans hate America?"

Does anyone have the answer?

March 12, 2010 04:40 pm at 4:40 pm |

wwf

If the Republicans know so much, how is it that they are not in power 100% of the time. They seem to know all of the answers.